Positive Stories
Fish feed made from litchi seeds to cut costs for the fish farmer by 25%
India is the world’s second largest producer of both litchi and fish. Pisciculture gets a fillip as scientists from the College of Fisheries in Muzaffarpur, Bihar find ways to make fish feed with litchi seeds, which will bring down the expenses for the fish farmer.
Divendra Singh
A plant-based hydrogel to help farmers tackle water scarcity in the face of climate change
An eco-friendly hydrogel made from plant cellulose has been developed by scientists of Tripura University with support from the Ministry of Environment. The hydrogel that has the ability to absorb, hold and release water when required by the crops, hopes to help farmers mitigate the problem of water scarcity in agriculture.
Divendra Singh
The lucrative business of mushrooms that can be used in chocolates, cookies and pickles
Mushrooms are high in nutrients and take no more than 20 days to be harvested, thus making them more attractive than other crops. The horticultural department in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, is training the youth in mushroom cultivation and allied businesses.
Gaon Connection
An integrated farming model promises monthly earning of Rs 25,000 from an acre of land
The agriculture department of Sitapur district in Uttar Pradesh has developed an integrated farming system to raise the incomes of small and marginal farmers. By adopting poultry and fish farming, along with cultivating crops, farmers can earn up to Rs 25,000 per month from an acre of land.
Mohit Shukla
Equipped with Israeli technology, here’s how a vegetable research institute in Uttar Pradesh is training farmers to maximise profits
Thousands of farmers, not only from Uttar Pradesh but also from neighbouring states such as Madhya Pradesh are being trained by this facility and are profiting by receiving saplings ahead of the natural season of the vegetables. More details here.
Ajay Mishra
Nel Thiruvizha, Tamil Nadu’s seed festival that has revived over 150 heritage, organic paddy varieties
Fifteen years ago, at Thiruthuraipoondi, in Tamil Nadu, the Nel Thiruvizha (seed festival) movement took root and gathered thousands of paddy farmers into its fold. Gaon Connection finds out more about a movement that has revived more than 150 varieties of heritage paddy in the state.
Pankaja Srinivasan
Mother’s illness led him to buy a cow 27 years ago. Today the successful dairy farmer earns over a lakh a month
Dropped out of 11th standard due to the weak financial condition of his household, the success story of this dairy farmer from Madhya Pradesh’s Satna is a lesson in grit, perseverance and entrepreneurship. Read on to know more.
Sachin Tulsa Tripathi
Farmers in Himachal Pradesh take to cultivating saffron
Saffron farming, mostly limited to Kashmir, has now commenced in the districts of Kinnaur, Chamba, Mandi, Kullu, and Kangra in Himachal Pradesh. The climate in these districts is ideal for ‘kesar’ cultivation and the CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology in Palampur, is training the Himachali farmers for it.
Divendra Singh
Their mother dead and father courting another tigress, the four cubs in Panna are on self-learning mode
While their Tiger Dad does keep an occasional watch over them, the four 10-month-old tiger cubs, who lost their mother in May, are learning the ropes about surviving in the jungles of the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. The next 75 to 90 days will be crucial to the survival of the cubs, say forest officials.
Arun Singh
Hope floats in flood-hit Bihar as Tika Wali Naav ensures COVID vaccination in marooned villages
Frontline health workers in flood-hit Muzaffarpur district of Bihar are rowing their way to flood-affected villages to inoculate the residents. This initiative of the district administration is being supported by the local self-help group women and community organisations.